Red Bend Software, which specialises in Mobile Software Management and Firmware Over-the-Air (FOTA) updating solutions for mobile devices, has unveiled its vRapid Mobile product suite, which it claims revolutionises the way that manufacturers and platform providers bring mobile phones to market, and the way that operators and independent software vendors (ISVs) deliver mobile services. vRapid Mobile provides what Red bend claims is the first comprehensive approach to customising software on mobile phones and delivering targeted mobile services for different consumer segments.
Building on Red Bends patented FOTA software, which updates the entire firmware image as one monolith, vRapid Mobile is the first Mobile Software Management solution that can update, add and remove individual embedded software components on any mobile phone.
Red bend says that vRapid Mobile provides unprecedented control over the software assets of mobile phones via an extensive suite of tools for deploying, managing and maintaining a limitless number of software versions.

The company believes it will create new revenue opportunities for the
entire mobile value chain to deliver software features, applications
and services easily and securely over-the-air to feature phones and
Smartphones already in the hands of consumers.
Red Bend says that vRapid Mobile will enable operators and service
providers to increase ARPU by launching new mobile services independent
of hardware release schedules; manufacturers to achieve faster
time-to-market for mobile devices by delivering new software components
over-the-air after phones ship; platform providers to deliver platforms
that enable operators to customize software assets at point of sale or
post-sale for different market segments; independent software vendors
to update or add software to devices already in the hands of consumers,
increasing competitiveness and time-to-market, and consumers to enjoy
new mobile applications and services, at the press of a key, for a more
personalised mobile user experience.
Real-life use-cases for vRapid Mobile suggested by Red Bend include
adding Push Email capabilities via a messaging client update; upgrading
the phones media player to support a new streaming video service;
installing a new audio codec to support richer music downloads;
enhancing an operators custom application suite with
location/navigation services; and updating the IP multimedia subsystem
(IMS) middleware on a mobile phone to efficiently support service
providers deploying quadruple play IP-based networks
There is growing market demand for customized mobile phones and
services targeted to different consumer segments, from sports fans to
music lovers to travelling professionals says Red Bend CEO, Yoram
Salinger. To match the service requirements of operators and the
unique lifestyles of consumers, the industry needs a new approach to
customisation that doesnt create a bottleneck at the factory. vRapid
Mobile bends industry conventions by extending the reach of
customisation deeper inside the software architecture of mobile phones,
across any mobile software platform, and at any time in a devices
lifecycle.
Jessica Figueras, Practice Leader, Service Infrastructure, at Ovum also believes that FOTA is an important tool for mobile operators and handset
manufacturers wishing to improve the quality of software on mobile
phones, whether by fixing bugs or delivering new features. She says:
By bringing certain customisation processes out of the factory, it
creates exciting new possibilities for collaboration between operators
and manufacturers. A growing number of operators are trialling or
deploying FOTA, along with other device management applications, and
this has initiated the development of important new collaborative
working practices.   
vRapid Mobile with support for Linux and selected feature phone
platforms will be available in Q2 2007. Support for Symbian will be
available in Q3 2007. Through its successful field experience in
testing and piloting vRapid Mobile in 2006, Red Bend says it is
offering manufacturers and operators a comprehensive implementation
process and methodology that guides product integration and
deployment.